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Butterflies released in Delaney Wykle’s Garden for her 23rd Birthday

(RALEIGH COUNTY) A dedication ceremony was held this afternoon at Delaney’s Garden to honor what would’ve been Delaney Wykle’s 23rd birthday.

“We will never forget your kindness for this lovely gift, Delaney’s Garden. God bless you and thank you, and from all of us ‘happy birthday Delaney,’ Paula Wykle, Delaney’s mother said.

The young woman was one of seven people who died during a July 4th helicopter crash in the Bahamas. To celebrate her life, friends, family members and the Beckley community gathered at Grey Flats Trails to keep her spirit alive.

Delaney’s Garden was planted earlier this month by a local group of hiking friends who called themselves the “Happy Hikers.”

The group are friends with Wykle’s mother, Paula and wanted to make sure the sweet spirited young woman who died too soon would live on through her garden.

“Delaney said: ‘see all the good’ and I see all of this good, but I want you to see all of the good in yourselves. You’ve given us something to inspire, and I want to be inspired to be more like you,” Delaney’s father, Paul Wykle said.

55 butterflies traveled all the way from Florida to surprise the Wykle family as an addition to the garden.

“We thought it would be very fitting because of the garden. Butterflies are always here anyway. We have some butterfly bushes and this is very fitting to release the butterflies for Delaney,” Lisa Massey said.

“If we would ask Delaney if she would want to come back to us, she would tell us no. I really do believe she’s in heaven and she’s rejoicing and she’s seeing more beauty than what we have in this garden,” Tammy Hancock Cline said.